


In the Aftermath

by Saud



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Apologies, Confessions, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 05:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11639487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saud/pseuds/Saud
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts, after defeating Voldemort, Harry goes off to be alone by the Great Lake.





	In the Aftermath

After a while Harry felt he couldn't breathe. There were still dozens of bodies laid out in the Great Hall and the stench of blood and shit and death was too much. As he'd walked out of the Great Hall he'd felt a searing guilt even though he'd been there all day, helping to identify each body so their families could come for them. These people had died for him, and he couldn't even stand the smell of them for a few hours.

To his surprise, three of the bodies belonged to Slytherins. They must have snuck away from their common room to fight with their fellow students.

The grounds were dark and silent as Harry burst through the front doors. He didn't know what time of night it was. He didn't know where he was going as he wandered into the dark. He eventually wound up by the Great Lake, and stopped a few feet from the shimmering black water. The surface of the lake was rippling, though there was no wind to speak of.

Harry's exhaustion suddenly hit him and his knees buckled, legs no longer willing to support him. He collapsed onto the grass, his eyes burning with the need to sleep yet unable to close.

He sat there for what felt like hours, on the cold prickly grass. He was by a tree he and Ron and Hermione had spent happier days studying under.

Dawn bled into the horizon and he began to make out shapes littering the Lake: One of the stone sentries' heads sticking up at an angle; the dead body of a Death Eater floating face down with their hood over their head; pieces of wood and dust and rubble swirling in the roiling water.

As the sun rose the lake slowly settled, as if it was falling asleep.

He heard footsteps rustle through the grass behind him. He expected it to be Ginny -- or Ron, or Hermione, or even Mrs. Weasley -- but who he saw sent a spike of anger through him.

_Draco._

He sprung up and his numbing fingers curled into fists before he remembered that night, what felt like years ago, when he was sprawled across Bellatrix Lestrange's floor and Draco lied for him. Before he remembered what Draco's mother had risked in lying for him just yesterday (or was it the day before yesterday now?).

Harry's fists unfurled as Draco came to stand beside him, a few feet apart, staring out over the lake. Harry turned to stare too. It was now flat as a mirror, save for the refuse and protrusions.

"I'm sorry," Draco said.

Harry wasn't sure if Draco was expressing his condolences or admitting guilt.

"For what?" Harry asked, his voice sharper than he'd meant it.

Draco sighed. "For everything," he said, glancing at Harry, "From the start, I said one wrong thing, one vile thing about your friend that made you hate me. And it shattered this place inside me where I, like every other wizarding child, held you. It made me resent you, say and do things just to provoke you. It was stupid but it was the only way I could get you to talk to me."

Harry turned to look at Draco, stared at him as Draco himself stared off across the lake.

"I couldn't just apologize and ask you to start over. I was too arrogant for that," Draco continued, "So I took every opportunity to get a rise out of you. But really I wanted to be you... and later to be  _with_ you, but you hated me. Then we were on two opposite sides of a war and I was forced to hate you, to want to destroy you, but even then I couldn't. It's why I told my aunt it wasn't you."

Harry thought back to that day, ages ago, when they'd met. If Draco had never insulted Ron, and just asked to be Harry's friend, would things be different?

There was no way to know.

The weight of a friendship that could have been stood in the space between them. Harry wondered if it could yet be.

"I forgive you," Harry said.

Draco's shoulders slumped forward and the morning light illuminated his white-blond hair.

The sun had risen over the ruined lake, and they were still alive. Against all odds they were both still alive.

* * *

[Insp.](http://betterprompts.tumblr.com/post/163503371287/the-sun-had-risen-over-the-ruined-lake-and-we)

 


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